"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -- Maya Angelou

Life is often so busy that we forget to slow down. In between trips to the grocery store, changing dirty diapers, preparing meals, and doing endless amounts of laundry it can be really hard to make time to take a deep breath and share life lessons with our kids. Demonstrating kindness, which is often taken for granted and frequently overlooked, is one of these most important lessons that we as parents need to make sure that we instill in our children.

Studies show that children who learn about compassion, respect, empathy and how to express acts of kindness in both words and actions, have a much more positive impact on the world they live in than those that don’t. It is also proven that young children raised to understand the value of kindness are less likely to bully or even become violent. Further, in kids and adults, the kindness giver, receiver and even those observing the kind act experience an increase in happiness and energy, more optimism and a general feeling of being healthy and satisfied.

There are many simple and easy ways to teach this valuable lesson of kindness in our home and our community.

Random acts of kindness don’t have to be huge or expensive to make a difference. Sometimes the smallest acts can make the biggest impact.

Here are some random acts of kindness you can do with your kids:

Make cards or crafts to give out at a local senior center

Bake treats and bring them to the police or fire station

Cut out and decorate a set of paper hearts and give them to people that are kind in your day

Pick up trash at a playground

Take your neighbor’s dog for a walk

Invite someone new over for a play date

Donate art supplies to kids in the hospital

Decorate placemats for a local shelter or food pantry

Have a lemonade stand for your favorite cause

Volunteer and play with the animals at a local shelter

Share books you no longer need with a doctor’s office

Smile at a stranger. Smiling is easy and contagious!

There are also many great ideas for crafts on the Internet and Pinterest. Kindness ribbon wreaths, paper chains of kindness, mail a hug to a loved one, making friendship bracelets, planting “seeds of kindness” and decorating pots. The possibilities are endless.

We can all make a difference, young and old. Sharing this valuable lesson with our children truly can change the world.

The Littlest Change is working to create a community that is kind conscious. Our goal is to help people realize that the smallest acts of thoughtfulness and giving can make a world of difference in our lives and those around us. We’re asking individuals, businesses, schools, and groups to visit our website at www.thelittlestchange.com to request random act of kindness tags and to learn about more ways that we can make a difference together. Please share your photo’s and stories with us at info@thelittlestchange.com and we will promote them to our website. It is a great reinforcement and an enhanced positive experience for children to see their good deeds “published”. Kindness is contagious. Join us!